When preparing newspapers, and particularly newspapers which are widely distributed over geographically dispersed metropolitan areas, it is customary to provide a basic or main section which includes the latest news; and in addition, various other sections and, if desired, inserts, for example advertisement inserts. The additional sections may not include fast-breaking news, but may contain matter of general interest, for example fashion news, science reviews, articles about real estate and developments, including real estate advertisements and the like, which can be prepared in advance and well before the "news" section or portion of the newspaper is printed. In addition, and particularly if the newspaper is distributed about geographically diverse metropolitan areas, specific regional news may also be included, which vary from region to region. Thus, the newspaper may have a first or general news section which can print news about events which occurred up to a deadline which may, for example, be close to midnight, for distribution in the morning. After the newspaper has been printed, and the pages folded, the additional sections can be added, and then the newspaper is assembled with other papers for distribution, for example for distribution by delivery trucks to specific portions of a city, even specific streets, or to specific addresses; or to suburbs or metropolitan regions. The individual distribution of newspapers to specific subscribers may be done locally, that is, by local distributors.
Printed products, such as magazines and newspapers, frequently include inserts or added sections, for examples in form of folded advertising inserts or single-sheet advertising inserts which may also include merchandise coupons. These insers and additions are to be added to the main or "news"section of the newspaper. It was customary to provide the main or "news" section of the newspaper and then, for specific regions, introduce the inserts or subsections which were all identical, at least for a specific region. The time pressure for adding the additional subsections is substantial, and, since it is to be added to the "news"section, must be inserted in the "news" section when it comes off the printing press, that is, at the last minute. Thus, newspapers which are intended to be distributed to a specific region, for example to a specific suburb or a specific community, all had the same inserts applied, simply because it was economically impossible to differentiate or select specific inserts under the time pressure. It was not possible, for example, to add only respectively requested inserts for specific subscribers although their delivery addresses were next door to each other. Within the time available, it was not possible to differentiate and individualize or personalize the inserts for specific subscribers; thus, all subscribers within a given region or delivery zone had to get all the inserts which, however, may be of interest to only a few of the subscribers.